Zwei and the Beocub
by Pengwe
Summary: A creature of light. A creature of darkness. They stand on opposite sides in this world, yet somehow they end up becoming friends.
1. The Beocub

The crickets chirped loudly at night. Zwei laid comfortably on the couch, snuggled up against the soft cushions in the living room. Unfortunately, sleep would not come.

Zwei squeezed his eyes shut and tried to fall asleep.

Minutes flew by.

Just as Zwei was about to fall asleep, a loud howl was heard. Zwei whimpered as sleep drifted away from his grasp. Fully opening his dark gray eyes, Zwei stood up and decided to go out for a stroll in the forest.

He trotted over to the door and leaped up at the doorknob. He successfully bit the doorknob and held on tight, allowing gravity from the weight of his body, to turn the knob.

 _Click!_ The door opened up a small gap, but that was all Zwei needed to squeeze out.

Outside, the air was cool and the shattered moon shone brightly above. Zwei walked down the dirt path, taking his time. He enjoyed the wind going through his somewhat thick fur. It was extremely quiet due to the late hours, but Zwei didn't mind as he continued on his little trek to the forest.

He finally reached the edge of the forest that threatened to swallow him whole. The forest was huge with thick trees planted firmly beside each other. A small gravel pathway was in the middle of it.

Zwei walked in with no hesitation; after all, he had grown up on this island and learned his way around. Soft crunching sound could be heard as Zwei looked around while wandering further down the path. His ears perked up at the sound of trickling water. Zwei envisioned a map of the forest and turned a left, leaving the safety of the gravel pathway and into the darkness.

A few minutes later, he arrived at a clearing that had a small pond with a small waterfall coming down the smooth rocks. Zwei sat down at the edge of the water and stared at his reflection. He dipped his fluffy paw into the soothing warm water.

 _"_ _Perhaps I can use the water to help me sleep! I've done it before without drowning."_ Zwei thought as he gracefully leaped into the water. He lay on his back and managed to float. The gentle waves of the water were lulling him to sleep…until Zwei noticed a pair of red eyes watching him in the bushes. Zwei let out a low growl. What does it take for a dog to peacefully sleep?

Zwei climbed out of the pond and shook his fur dry. Grimm weren't a rare sight, and Zwei had taken care of them before. He made sure that the pond was in between him and the bush, just so that the grimm wouldn't launch directly at him. He lowered himself down to a fighting stance.

Watching.

Waiting.

Seconds turned to minutes, but Zwei kept his guard up. It was a boring standoff between canine and grimm, but it had to be done if one didn't want to be ambushed.

Then a small paw stuck out of the bush.

 _"_ _Beowolf…"_ Zwei thought as he braced himself for the quiet rumble that usually emerged from the thundering footsteps.

The leaves on the branches rustled loudly as the beowolf stepped out. Zwei held his breath and placed on his most intimidating face. But for a small corgi like him, the intimidating look was more of a cute pout.

 _"_ _Anndddd…"_ Zwei thought as the beowolf showed itself.

Zwei blinked in confusion as he took in the sight of the beowolf. It had small spikes on its arms, back, and legs. A small bone-like mask covered only half of its face.

 _"_ _It's a cub?"_ Zwei thought as he gave a once over to the tiny beowolf that was nearly the same size of himself.

"Yip! Yip!" The tiny beocub called out. _Hi there!_

Zwei straightened up immediately as he let out a soft bark. _Hello._

The beocub slowly walked to the edge of the pond and sat down. His little tail wagged back and forth. Zwei awkwardly stood there at the opposite side, unsure of what to do next. Luckily the awkwardness didn't last long.

"Ruff, ruff, ruff?" The beocub asked. _Wanna play?_

Zwei stared in disbelief at the beocub. _"Did he seriously just ask if I wanted to play?"_ Zwei thought as he continued to blankly stare at the beocub.

Two quiet barks came from the beocub. _What's wrong?_

Zwei shook his head, hoping the young cub would understand his message. Obviously the beocub hasn't been introduced to the deadly mindless slaughtering between grimm and humans; otherwise they wouldn't be in this awkward situation in the first place. So Zwei lowered his guard and decided to take up the invitation.

 _What shall we play?_


	2. Huntsmen

**A/N: A big thanks to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed! I appreciate it ^_^**

 **Also I'm going to try and update this every Saturday, if not, Sunday.**

* * *

Zwei and the beocub ─ which Zwei had appropriately named Cubby ─ were splashing around in the small pond. They had been doing this for an hour already, but they were both secretly enjoying every second of it.

Cubby sent a vicious wave of water but Zwei easily swam out of range. Zwei turned around and kicked waves of water towards poor little Cubby who got splashed before he could react. Cubby went and tried to take revenge on Zwei by sending multiple small waves. Zwei dodged the first two but suddenly stopped at the sound of a twig snapping in the distance. The third wave smashed into Zwei, but he paid no attention to the water that sprayed all over him.

Cubby, noticing Zwei's sudden change, gave him a questioning look. Zwei didn't respond, in case the thing was nearby. The fact that he didn't know what the thing was, slightly terrified him. Could it be huntsmen? Grimm? Both? Whatever it was, it most certainly wasn't some wild animal. There hasn't been much wildlife at all in the world of Remnant. So it could only be huntsmen or grimm, either one was a threat to one of them.

Slowly and quietly, Zwei got out of the pond while mentally cursing at the sound of dripping water, which seemed to be the loudest noise at the moment. Cubby, who was getting worried at this point, also climbed out of the pond.

Zwei began to slowly back up into the bush that Cubby was hiding in earlier. The rustling of the leaves made Zwei stop.

 _"_ _Crap, well we can't hide in here!"_ Zwei thought as pulled his foot out of the bush. Then he lowered himself down onto the soft grass. His eyes flickered around rapidly, scanning the forest for any signs of the threat. Cubby quietly sat beside him, his red eyes were full of questions.

Dull footsteps could be heard. _"Huntsmen? They probably got alerted by the town about the howling earlier."_ Zwei thought.

Zwei got up from the ground. Huntsmen weren't threatened by him, but he took a glance at Cubby and mentally sighed. Beocub or not, grimm was grimm, and there was no exception to that. Zwei took another quick glance at his young companion, and saw that he was completely calm, not at all tensed up at the sound and smell of humans.

 _"_ _It seems like it's up to me to do something."_ Zwei thought. The footsteps were approaching, closer and closer. Zwei was running out of time and options. He could drag Cubby away and hope that they could lose the trained huntsmen through the dense forest. Another option could be to sit and wait. If the huntsmen were to wander down to this clearing and spot them, perhaps they would realize that Cubby was absolutely harmless. It would also make them seem less of a threat.

 _"_ _But could I risk it? Could I risk an innocent beocub's life for a simple test in humanity? Well as innocent as a baby grimm could get."_ Zwei thought as he argued back and forth with himself.

The footsteps stopped, and Zwei held his breath knowing that he must make a decision; a decision that could determine Cubby's fate.

The atmosphere was tense unlike before when Zwei had first encountered Cubby _._ Cubby gave a soft whimper, making Zwei look over at him in the eyes.

It was those eyes that made Zwei's decision for him.

 _Those goddamn puppy eyes._

He wouldn't sit around and wait.

He will run if he must if that could guarantee a chance for an uncorrupted beocub to live.

And so when Zwei saw the shimmering blade that shone brightly from the moonlight, Zwei gave a low commanding bark.

 _Run._

* * *

The world became a blur as Zwei shot through the forest with blinding speed. Surprisingly the young beocub had managed to somewhat keep up. Behind them were the huntsmen.

 _Why are we running from them?_ Cubby shouted.

Zwei slowed down a bit to match Cubby's speed. He debated if he should tell Cubby the truth. _"He's too young to understand."_ Zwei thought. He ended up ignoring the question. Right now, he needed to focus on getting them out of this situation, _alive_.

 _Do you trust me?_ Zwei asked. Cubby seemed to contemplate about this for a few moments. Then he gave a small nod.

Zwei 'grinned' as he saw the forest coming to end. It was sunrise, the most beautiful time of the day in Zwei's opinion.

 _Good, cause we're going to be jumping off of this cliff._ Zwei said just as they reached the edge and slowed to a stop. He took a daring glance back and saw the dark outlines of the huntsmen.

 _Um…are you sure?_ Cubby said, uncertainty was clear in his barks.

Zwei didn't respond before tackling the startled beocub off the cliff. He positioned himself so that Cubby was on top of him.

Just before they hit the ground, Zwei activated his aura which broke their fall.

They tumbled and rolled for a bit, but were otherwise unharmed. Zwei dusted himself off and was surprised that the huntsmen didn't come after them.

Cubby happily rolled around on the soft grass.

 _That was so much fun! Can we do it again?_ Cubby asked as he sat up. There was a patch of dirt stuck to his forehead. Zwei nuzzled Cubby's head, smearing the dirt even more. _One day._ Zwei suggested.

Howling echoed throughout the forest, making Cubby stare longingly at it. _My pack is calling me._ Cubby said. Then he looked at Zwei and sheepishly asked, _how do I get up there?_

 _Follow me._ Zwei said as he led the way up to a small familiar looking gravel pathway which twisted and turned back into the forest.

* * *

They stood at the edge of the forest where Cubby and Zwei parted ways.

 _See you tomorrow night?_ Cubby asked his red eyes full of hope. It was a strange sight to see; a creature of grimm with a look of hope on its face.

 _Sure, meet you back at the pond?_ Zwei said.

Cubby happily nodded and they spared one last glance before heading off in two different directions.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Reviews are welcomed! :D**


	3. Zwei's Wise Methods

Zwei wandered around the house, looking for a comfortable spot for a very long nap. Zwei leaped up onto the beige leather couch and curled up into a tight little ball. Surprisingly he found himself very eager to meet up with Cubby later tonight.

 _"_ _Tonight, is going to be great."_ Zwei thought before drifting to sleep.

* * *

Zwei wandered into the forest around the same time as yesterday. He was surprised when he found Cubby on the soft green grass, watching a snail on a log.

 _Hi!_ Cubby excitedly said.

 _Hey, what are you doing?_ Zwei gestured at the snail which was taking its sweet time at crawling.

 _Oh, this is my new pet!_ Zwei watched in amusement as Cubby slowly reached out to pet the snail. Surprisingly the snail didn't crawl inside its shell. Instead it obediently stood still as the fur on Cubby's paw gently stroke the fragile shell.

 _Does it have a name?_ Zwei asked when Cubby stopped stroking the snail. Cubby shook his little head. He attentively watched the snail crawl into a small hole in the log.

 _See ya tomorrow!_ Cubby said as he peered into the hole. Then Cubby sat up again and happily looked at Zwei.

 _So, what do you want to do?_ Zwei asked. Just as Cubby was about to answer, his stomach growled loudly.

 _Heh, do you know where to get food?_ Cubby sheepishly said. Zwei's dark gray eyes lit up as an idea came to mind.

 _Come on! I'll teach you how to catch fish!_ Zwei excitedly said.

 _You know how to fish?_ Cubby was amazed.

 _Of course, now let's go!_ Zwei could barely hold his excitement at this point. Cubby nodded and Zwei happily led the way.

* * *

The quiet trickle of the river filled the silence as Zwei and Cubby sat side-by-side at the edge. The shimmering clear water made it easy to spot the fish swimming by, unlike a few other rivers they had visited.

 _So, when are the fish stopping by?_ Cubby asked. He looked at the endless stretch of the river and gave a soft sigh.

 _Soon, be patient, my young grasshopper._ Zwei said. He gave a light pat on Cubby's head. Cubby gave a cute little whimper before settling down on the grass.

 _"_ _This is going to be a long night."_ Cubby thought.

* * *

Cubby woke up from his nap. He didn't realize that he had fallen asleep. He looked over to see Zwei sitting in the same exact spot.

 _Did you−_ Cubby was about to say, when Zwei had suddenly placed a paw on his snout.

 _Shhh! I see a fish!_ Zwei said. He gotten up into a low crouching stance and beckoned for Cubby to do the same.

 _Okay, it's coming. Watch the master do his job!_ Zwei said as he eagerly got ready to pounce into the river.

The little fish came closer and Zwei waited until the timing was right. Then he leaped into the river with his small mouth wide opened. Unfortunately for Zwei, his timing was slightly off and the little fish swam as fast as it could, away from Zwei's sudden body slam. Zwei sat up in the river and he glared at the fish. Then he raised his furry paw in the air and angrily shook it, as if he was declaring war.

 _I can see why you're the master._ Cubby said, making Zwei turn his glare at him.

Zwei didn't respond. Instead, he splashed water all over Cubby, who glared back at him.

 _Thanks._ Cubby said bitterly. He was entirely soaked from head to toe.

 _Anytime, my friend._ Zwei said sweetly.

Suddenly Cubby's stomach growled again while he shook himself dry. _Can we actually get some food now?_

* * *

 _Is this entirely necessary?_ Cubby asked as he stared at his mud-covered body.

 _Don't question my teachings, young one._ Zwei said as he led the way into town.

 _I just did._ Cubby shot back. Zwei just stuck his tongue out at him.

The two animals arrived at the town. It was eerily silent due to the late hours, but no one complained about it. The houses were dark and the streets were empty. They made their way over to the shopping area of the town and found all the stores closed except for one; The Simple Wok.

The small noodle shop was empty except for the gray-haired man who was sweeping up the floor. The man didn't seem to take notice to the two animals approaching the shop.

Cubby and Zwei sat right outside the shop and patiently waited for the man to finish sweeping.

 _What do we do now?_ Cubby said in a low voice.

 _Now we give him the puppy eyes!_ Zwei answered back.

The man wiped his sweaty forehead before setting the broom aside. He turned around to find a brown 'dog' and a grey and white one sitting in front of his shop.

"What are you dogs doing here?" The man asked. Then the puppy eyes hit and the man stood there, trying not to succumb to the soft whimpers and big sparkling eyes that practically begged to be fed.

The man didn't last long. He sighed and walked over to the counter, pushing through the flappy door which wouldn't stay shut and straight into the kitchen. He heard soft pattering behind him and he knew that he needed to sweep the tiled floor again because of dog hair. The man quickly cooked two decent sized salmons and chopped them up to little bits before gathering it into two large ceramic bowls.

"Puppy eyes…my number one weakness." The man muttered as he set the bowls onto the floor in front of the dogs. Then he walked away, and presumed his other cleaning tasks.

 _See? It works like a charm._ Zwei said before digging in.

 _For once, one of your methods worked._ Cubby said.

 _Actually, two of them did. He didn't see through your costume!_

 _I still can't believe you managed to convince me to jump into a pond of mud._

 _Well you didn't exactly believe me about the puppy eyes._

 _Oh, don't remind me!_

* * *

 ***Flashback***

Zwei splashed some water onto the dry dirt and mixed it up into thick mud. He continued this process until he made a decent sized 'pond' for Cubby. Cubby sat in the bushes, which seemed to be his weird thing that he does from time to time, but Zwei had grown used to it.

 _Alright, it's ready. Jump in!_ Zwei said. He took a few steps back to admire his work.

 _I'm not jumping into that!_ Cubby said as he slowly untangled himself from the bushes.

 _Oh come on! It'll work, trust me._ Zwei pleaded

 _No! I don't like the way mud sticks to my soft fur. It feels weird._

 _Please? It's the only way to get that salmon!_

 _We can eat that another time._

 _But..but..please._ And then Zwei pulled out the puppy eyes trick and aimed it at Cubby who quickly looked away. But Zwei leaped up close to Cubby's face, making it hard for Cubby to not take notice. They kept this up for a while until Cubby finally looked at Zwei in the eyes…and immediately regretted it.

* * *

 _Goddamn puppy eyes._ Cubby muttered before finishing up his meal.


	4. A Turn of Events

**A/N: Just wanted to clarify something real quick. Animals don't have names for each other (except for dolphins), which is why the characters haven't mentioned each other's names in terms of dialogue.**

* * *

Zwei and Cubby sat in their usual spot by the pond. Cubby played with a ball of yarn that Zwei brought for him. Zwei on the other hand, was in deep thought. There was something he wanted to ask, except he didn't know how. Then he remembered Yang's advice to Ruby the other day.  
 _"Just wing it…"_

 _So...there's going to be a meetup with some dogs in a few days._ Zwei said. He played with the water while he barked. There were a few moments of silence, indicating that Zwei should continue.

 _Wanna come with me?_ Zwei asked.

 _But, I'm not a dog._ Cubby said.

 _I mean…_ Zwei left that sentence unfinished, allowing Cubby to piece it together. Zwei braced himself for an answer as he continued to mindlessly play with the water.

A full minute past by without anyone saying anything. Zwei was fine with that. He wasn't in a hurry tonight anyways. However, what Zwei wasn't expecting was a ball of yarn to smack him on the back of his head.

 _What was that for?_ Zwei quickly spun around to see Cubby feigning innocence.

 _My snail did it._ Cubby said while gesturing towards the snail on the log. Zwei sternly stared at Cubby.

 _Okay fine! My paw slipped!_ Cubby said, his red eyes diverted their gaze to the ground.

 _You're avoiding the question._ Zwei softly said.

Cubby suddenly looked guilty.

 _It's not like I don't want to go, it's just..._ Cubby paused. _What I mean is that it was hard explaining why I had some mud stuck on me to my family when we last pretended that I was a dog. Now this time, they might be suspicious about what I'm really doing._ Cubby saw Zwei's face fall with disappointment.

 _However, if I were to go, aren't dogs supposed to be super intelligent with their smells and all that? Wouldn't they realize that I'm not one of them?  
_ Cubby quickly added.

 _Well yes, but I think we can make up some convincing stories._ Zwei confidently said.

 _Okay, assuming that the stories are somewhat_ believable _and it works_ , _how do we avoid suspicion with your fellow doggy friends?_

 _Simple, I'll teach you how to be a dog._ Zwei beamed at the idea.

Cubby's jaw dropped as he stared at Zwei. _You're going to teach me how to be a dog?_

Zwei nodded happily. _Yep! It's not going to be hard. You're part wolf._

 _Not really, I'm mainly Grimm._

 _Yea so? Trust me, it won't be hard. You just need to learn the body language and such. Besides, it might be useful for other things._ There was a something mischievous brewing in those dark gray eyes.

Cubby licked his lips and his tail wagged happily. _We get more salmon?_

 _Oh yeah, we'd get more salmon._

* * *

They stood at the edge of the forest. The moon shone brightly above and there were little fireflies that lit up the field. The grass was tall and buried their legs but other than that, it wasn't much of an issue for them.

 _Alright, show me what you know._ Zwei said as he sat down.

 _Well there's the happy sign._ Cubby said. He sat down and demonstrated by showing a relaxed position. His tail wagged and he stuck his tongue out in a goofy expression. Zwei gave him an amused look.

 _Are we signing up for a circus?_ Zwei jokingly asked. Cubby 'pouted' and gave a soft whimper while lying on the grass. His small pointy ears pressed flatly against his head.

 _Okay that's good. Anymore?_ Zwei said as Cubby sat up. Cubby nodded and tried to make an intimidating face, but it just looked like he was constipated, which made Zwei roll around in the tall grass, dying of laughter. Cubby took a step forward and growled.

 _We'll need to work on that one._ Zwei said as he stood up.

 _Right…have you seen yours?_ Cubby said. His eyes naturally drifted to the scenery behind Zwei, which in this case, was the massive forest.

 _Hey, I don't need to look intimidating. I just need to hypnotize them with my puppy eyes!_ Zwei batted his eyelashes but Cubby didn't see. He was too busy staring at the forest.

 _What's up?_ Zwei asked.

 _I thought I saw something._ Cubby muttered. His red eyes scanned the forest carefully.

 _I don't see anything. Maybe you need more sleep._ Zwei suggested.

Cubby stared for a little longer.

 _Yeah, maybe you're right._ Just as he was about to turn around, he caught another glimpse of what he thought he saw before. A flash of red eyes lurking in the shadows. A shiver ran down Cubby's spine as he watched the eyes disappear a second later.

 _Hey! You good?_ Zwei asked while lightly tapping Cubby on the side.

 _Yeah, but I think I'll go now. I'm super tired._ Cubby lied. Zwei didn't even doubt Cubby at all which just added to the growing guilt. Instead Zwei quickly nodded.

 _Alright, see you tomorrow then._ Zwei said.

Cubby nodded as guilt temporarily overcame the uneasiness that settled in his stomach. He hated lying, especially to his friends. He briefly watched Zwei dash off in the opposite direction of the forest, which Cubby was glad of. He sighed as he trudged his way back home.

* * *

Cubby weaved his way through the dense forest. He'd done this so many times that he knew the way back home without needing to worry about getting lost. Though this time, he went faster and faster as the seconds ticked by. He had a feeling that someone was watching him.

Just as Cubby spotted the daunting cave that he called home, a full sized beowolf leaped out of a bush, blocking his path. Cubby stared at him, making sure that his gaze and posture didn't falter.

 _Hello brother._ Nero said as he towered over Cubby who remained stoic.

Nero crept closer and walked around in circles around Cubby. Cubby didn't respond, nor did he move. Running away was a sign of weakness and responding could provoke him. He saw what happened to the other wolves and knew the consequences.

 _What were you doing with that…_ canine _?_ Nero hissed in Cubby's sensitive ears. His blood ran cold as he could feel the raging eyes pierce into him. But he kept still, as still as a statue as his older brother stopped circling and stood in front of him.

 _Not going to answer me?_ Nero challenged.

Cubby dared to look up into his eyes and found nothing in those blazing irises. There wasn't any unfurling anger that could strike a creature down in fear, instead, it was just blank. Then Nero's posture sagged as he turned around and walked towards their home. Cubby stood there in shock since it was the first time that an encounter like this had gone so smoothly. But then his brother turned around one last time, causing Cubby to immediately stiffen.

 _It is none of my business to know what you were doing with that thing. So your secret will be safe with me…for now. But if I catch you doing anything questionable, then I will not hesitate to tell the rest of the clan._ He walked away again.

Cubby let out a breath that he was holding. All he had to do from now on was to be cautious whenever he was around Zwei. _"I just hope I don't have to lie to him again."_ Cubby thought when a bright orange light shone from his left. He cringed as his curious eyes took in the fiery sun that was beginning to rise and start the day. _"Oh wow, sunrise looks so pretty. Wait…sunrise? Crap!"_ A realization dawned on Cubby as he sprinted towards the cave.

He approached the entrance way when his father stepped out.

 _And what were you doing all night?_ His father demanded. Cubby froze as he searched his mind for an excuse.

 _He was with me._ Nero spoke from behind. Cubby felt relief flood through his body.

Their father studied both of their faces. Searching, searching, for something to give them away. But when he didn't find anything, he gave them a low growl.

 _Very well, children. I'll be off for the day._ With that said, their father went on his daily hunting.

Cubby gratefully looked at his brother. _Thanks._

 _I meant what I said earlier._ Nero said.

 _I know._ Cubby muttered as he walked past him. He had sleep to catch up on.

* * *

Zwei noticed a change in Cubby's behaviour, which was beginning to worry him. Not only that, but the meetup was tomorrow at midnight!

They were hanging out at small shallow cave which Cubby had insisted on. Zwei was chewing on a thick stick he found. It helped him think. He looked at Cubby who was the source of his thoughts.

Cubby had a sharp stone in his mouth and was busy drawing something. It was a game they had been playing for a few hours. Cubby made one more stroke before setting the rock down.

 _I'm done!_ Cubby said. Zwei dropped his beloved stick and came over. Zwei cocked his head to the side as he stared at the rough sketch. There was a big round creature in the center, wearing a funny looking suit. He was riding a box.

 _What is it?_ Zwei asked.

 _It's supposed to be that Santa dude._ Cubby said.

 _Isn't Santa supposed to be a human?_ Zwei pointed to the snout on the face and the big furry paws.

 _How do you know?_ Cubby quite liked his Santa. He looked like a big cuddly bear that gave warm hugs.

 _I've seen drawings of him before._

Cubby looked at him in shock. _So he's real?!_

 _No he's not. He's more like a fairy tale._ Zwei watched Cubby's face fall in disappointment.

 _Oh, then how does anyone know what he looks like? He could look like a bear too._ Cubby asked. He perked up at the idea of Santa being a bear.

Zwei didn't know how to respond to that. In a way, Cubby was quite right. Santa could be a bear for all they know.

 _Hmm, I suppose you're right. Santa could look like anything._ Zwei said. His tail wagged a little faster when he saw how happy Cubby was at the fact that his idea didn't seem as far fetched.

 _Should we play another round?_ Zwei asked. Cubby nervously looked out the cave.

 _No, it's time for me to go._ Cubby softly said. He gave Zwei an apologetic look.

 _Isn't−_ Zwei stopped himself. There was a pleading look in Cubby's eyes that begged him to understand. Even though Zwei didn't know what Cubby was hiding, he knew that something was wrong and if Cubby needed to go at an earlier time, it wasn't his place to intervene, not when he was absolutely clueless about the situation.

 _Have a goodnight._ Zwei said instead.

 _You too._ Cubby said. He spared him one last glance and it was almost like he was thanking him before turning away.

Zwei watched him leave until he was a tiny speck that was swallowed up by the dark forest. A cold draft blew in, making Zwei shiver. He sat down and ran a paw down the Santa Bear drawing. _"I wish that everything will be okay."_

* * *

Zwei hauled a half empty bucket of white paint. He wasn't sure if Cubby was going to show up tonight after yesterday, but he had hope that he will. He set the paint bucket right outside the entrance of the cave, mainly because the smell of it was way too strong for his liking.

A few minutes later, there was a soft crunching noise that made Zwei poke his head out of the cave to see who it was.

 _You came._

* * *

Zwei quietly hummed a soft tune while painting the bark of a random tree with white paint.

 _I'm ready._ Cubby said. He was covered in mud again, since he wouldn't take the white paint that Zwei had stole.

 _Good, let's go._

* * *

Cubby's nose wrinkled at how strong the scent of mud and grass and all the earthy substances were. According to Zwei, they were nearly there, even though there seemed to be nothing but an endless stretch of trees and a dirt pathway.

Cubby's little legs were beginning to ache. He couldn't help but whine. _Are we there yet?_

 _Almost!_ Zwei excitedly said.

Cubby looked around the unfamiliar area. He hadn't ventured out this far from home before, so the new territory was quite unsettling. A few birds chirped loudly above them, making Cubby jump a bit. Zwei shot him an amused look. Cubby pretended that nothing happened as they continued on without further interruptions.

* * *

They soon reached a large gray building that was on the outskirts of town. Cubby stared at it, unimpressed and slightly confused.

 _This is it?_ Cubby asked.

 _Yeah, they're just in there!_ Zwei said as he happily led the way through a broken window. Cubby made the jump but he was half in and half out. He tried to wiggle in but wasn't successful. Zwei smirked as he watched Cubby struggle.

 _Need a helping paw?_ Zwei said in a teasing tone.

 _Maybe._ Cubby grunted as his paws flailed helplessly in the air. Zwei gently bit Cubby's furry paw and tugged as hard as he dared. Without warning, they both tumbled onto the hard cement floor. The commotion was enough to alert the other dogs as they poured into the room.

 _Well, well, look who decided to drop in._ A Dalmatian joked.

* * *

The abandoned building turned out to be a once fully operational factory, but it had shut down a few years ago due to bankruptcy.

Cubby followed his guide around the factory as they shared small talk. His guide was a small bulldog, named Marrone. She seemed friendly enough as she chattered on about the amazing food in the grocery store. Whatever the heck that is. Cubby didn't bother asking since he wasn't that interested.

 _I am starving! I'm gonna go grab something. You want anything?_ Marrone asked.

Cubby merely shook his head.

 _Alright, I'll be back as soon as possible!_ Marrone promised before dashing off into the crowded room.

From where Cubby stood, he had a perfect view of the crowded room. Most dogs were either eating or talking. A few were teaching each other tricks. It was absolutely fascinating for Cubby. His family reunions were nothing like this. Instead they were awkward and uncomfortable events.

Cubby watched the dogs for a few more minutes before growing bored. He would've gone and interacted with the others but Cubby found it hard to try to fit in with them, so sometime that night, he had stopped trying.

Before he could walk away and find something to entertain him, a familiar bulldog came racing back.

 _I told you I'll be back!_ Marrone said happily.

 _Yeah and you did._ Cubby said. He looked out the window and realized that a nice walk would be a great idea.

 _Hey, I want to go out on a walk. Know any other exits?_ Cubby asked.

Marrone seemed a bit unsure, but after a few seconds she finally nodded.

 _Yeah, I know another exit. I think it's difficult for you to get through, considering how small you are, but maybe I can help._

* * *

They walked down a long hallway where there were very few windows, so the hallway was dark and full of shadows.

Cubby began to tense up, as they walked further and further into the darkness. He felt like he was walking right into a trap. He couldn't even hear the constant barking anymore.

Marrone must've noticed his discomfort because she stopped walking and gave him a concerned look.

 _We're almost there._ Marrone said. She waited until Cubby nodded before leading the way again.

They turned the corner and entered the room on their right. Three massive broken windows greeted them on each wall. Cubby let out a breath of relief at the sight of them.

 _Choose a window, any window!_ Marrone gestured.

 _Okay, that one!_ Cubby pointed to the one on the right wall.

He approached the window and saw just how high it was. It was higher than the one he and Zwei used to get in. Cubby tried jumping onto the ledge, but his paws weren't even close to touching the wooden window frame. So Cubby decided to get a running start. He bolted so fast that he could feel some of the mud fly off his body. As he got close to it, he leapt into the air and gravity was doing its job, pulling him back down. But that didn't matter as his paws slammed onto the ledge and he hung there while trying to use his legs to boost him up. But the claws on his paws had barely grown, so he couldn't get a solid grip on the smooth wall. And that's where Marrone came in to help.

 _What are you doing?_ Cubby asked as he looked down. Marrone positioned herself right underneath him and she stood on two paws.

 _Helping you of course!_ Marrone simply answered as she pushed him.

Surprisingly after a few more minutes of pushing and clawing, Cubby landed on the soft grass. He was out of the building.

 _Thank you. Do you want to join me?_ Cubby shouted.

 _No, there's some amazing food in here._ Marrone said.

 _Alright…bye!_

 _Bye, have fun._

Cubby turned away from the window and decided to explore this part of the forest. He didn't have anything else to do. So on he went, a brave young little beowolf exploring the dangerous forest, that probably only contained trees, grass, and dirt.

* * *

Zwei finished his conversation with an old friend, when he noticed that Cubby wasn't in the room. Zwei felt bad for leaving his friend alone, but he had seen him go with Marrone, so he let him be.

But now, after some time had passed, he began to wonder what they were doing. So Zwei slipped out of the room and went to go find them.

* * *

Cubby didn't wander too far from the factory. There wasn't much to see other than trees, trees, and more trees. Cubby turned around to head back, but a large shadow fell beside him. Cubby looked at his unexpected visitor; Nero.

Nero didn't say anything, but judging by the cold stare that he was giving, Cubby could tell that they weren't on good terms as of this moment.

 _What were you doing?_ Nero hissed.

 _Here's a better question, what are_ you _doing here?_ Cubby shot back.

 _A beowolf always keeps his word. I thought you knew that._ Nero said. Cubby brushed off that last comment. Cubby was glad that Nero wasn't as threatening as he was before.

 _So you followed me?_ Cubby slowly said. He didn't want to sound too aggressive.

 _I only did what I had to do._ Nero said firmly. His tone didn't leave any room for arguments.

 _I answered your question. Now answer mine._ Nero growled. Cubby didn't flinch at the sudden aggression.

 _It was nothing. Everyone was just catching up with each other._ Cubby said. He tried to sound as casual as possible, except that was quite difficult when his older brother was glaring daggers into him. _"Oh if looks could kill, I'd be dead a long time ago."_ Cubby thought as he waited for another snide remark.

 _I'm sure that's all you're doing._ Nero said sarcastically.

 _What's that supposed to mean?_ Cubby snapped.

 _I mean, if you're really just catching up, why here?_ Nero asked.

The question caught Cubby off guard, as he racked his brain for an answer.

 _You don't have an answer, do you?_ Nero took a menacingly step towards Cubby. It was almost an instinct to step back, but Cubby managed to stay put.

 _Maybe−_ Cubby was about to say when several howls echoed throughout the forest. More and more howling occurred. Each one sounded desperate, alarmed, afraid. Nero and Cubby shared a knowing look. _"A distress call."_ was the silent message that they shared.

They bursted into a sprint and shot through the forest with lightning speed. A high-pitched howl− which most likely belonged to another beocub−was heard as they darted through the trees.

 _Faster!_ Nero commanded as he picked up more speed. Cubby wondered if that was even possible as he tried to keep up.

* * *

They finally reached a familiar part of the forest and Cubby felt some relief that he now knew where they were.

They passed by the pond, which looked so beautiful with all the fireflies surrounding the pool of water.

Cubby was starting to feel exhausted and out of breath, but he knew that they were almost there. _"Just a little bit farther."_ Cubby thought. He saw Nero slow down to a stop but all Cubby could focus on was how much _farther_ he had yet to go.

Cubby could see a small glimpse of their home, but most of the trees blocked his view. Cubby slowed down to a walk. He heavily panted and kept his head down low as he made his way to Nero. A wave of anger brushed past him, which wasn't surprising to Cubby. However, the next wave of emotions that rolled off Nero made Cubby snap his head up.

And what Cubby saw next made him wished he didn't look up at all.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading ^_^ and thank you to those who favourited, reviewed, and followed this story!**

 **As for the next update, I can't guarantee that there will be one next weekend since it's the holidays! So hopefully there will be an update after the holidays.**


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